


may not be here forever but it'll be a long road together (we're gonna be fine)

by jyncaptain



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Domestic Fluff, Jos is dead in this one because I don't like him, M/M, Parenthood, So Max is the rightful King
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27115162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jyncaptain/pseuds/jyncaptain
Summary: Parenthood isn't the easiest journey, especially when you're a member of the Royalty and the whole world is focused on your family, but none of that matters when Charles and Max hold their children in their arms.Or, a series about Max and Charles' journey not only as members of the Royal House of the Netherlands, but as parents of energetic children.
Relationships: Charles Leclerc/Max Verstappen
Comments: 14
Kudos: 50





	1. Welkom in de wereld, Anneke!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a real sucker for Royal AU and Domestic Fluff so I decided to mix the two a little bit, and here we are. I intend to turn this into a series showing Charles and Max's journey balancing their official duties and parenthood, which isn't easy, but they will be fine. 
> 
> Also, I hate Jos and I really tried to include him, but I can't write anything without him being a big asshole (what he is in real life) and he would just get in the way so I decided to throw him away, now Max is the rightful King.
> 
> If there's someone reading, I hope you enjoy it! (Writing and translating a chapter is harder than I thought)

“Do you know you are so precious?” Max cooed softly, his eyes full of the purest adoration for the tiny bundle that rested peacefully in the elegant white cradle with golden details.

“She's so beautiful,” Charles' gentle voice almost scared Max, the Dutchman was so absorbed in memorizing every single detail of his daughter that he didn't notice his husband had returned to the room, instantly relaxing as he felt the Monegasque's soft hands on his shoulders.

Max turned around, his breath getting caught in his throat when he saw how handsome Charles looked with his slightly messy hair and wearing one of his many designed sweaters, the Dutchman slid his arms around his husband's waist, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss, “How are you feeling, schatje?”

“Still as if my body had pushed out the loveliest thing in the whole world,” Charles laughed light-heartedly, looking over Max's shoulder to make sure Anneke was yet asleep. “But seriously, I'm feeling better, all my exams are perfect, and hers too, I think we'll be fine.”

Max smiled, listening attentively to Charles, his heart beating a little bit stronger seeing his husband so full of life and their daughter sleeping soundly, remembering how difficult the months before Anneke's arrival to the world were and how the first week after the birth was especially critical for Charles – reaching the point where Max practically moved to the hospital just to be close to his husband and daughter because they were afraid something would happen, “I love you so much.”

“I hope so, I'm your husband and father of your daughter,” Charles teased, resting his head on Max's chest.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Max rolled his eyes, but without real malice, leaving a little kiss on top of Charles' head. “I was so terrified during those nine months, especially after the birth when they said you needed to go for the semi-intensive care, I was so afraid of losing you both. I couldn't do anything but think that at any moment I would receive a call from the hospital with the worst news, and when I wasn't allowed to be with you, I was in the chapel praying with my mother and Pascale. Fuck. They even made me choose from multiple plans about the procedure in case something happened to you or our Anneke, I never felt so fucking hopeless in my whole life.”

Charles felt his heartbreaking as he listened to his husband's vent, understanding how hard it was for Max to hold a strong exterior to soothe Charles's fears while so many uncertainties frightened him about their family's future. The Monegasque gently pulled away, still seeing traces of fear in his husband's blue eyes, using his fingers to caress his face.

“Mon amour,” Charles said in a broken tone. “Anneke and I are fine now, and I promise you that you will never lose us, you’re the greatest husband and the best father in the whole world. You were giving us balance, and reassured me with your jokes when the doctor said the birth would need to happen two weeks before, you held my hand, you took care of Anneke when all I could do was watch from afar, you brought my favorite foods, you created weird dances to make me laugh, you were deprived of sleep and yet you stayed here only to not abandon us, you dried my tears when I had no more strength, you even said how beautiful I looked every day, even when I was swollen and surrounded by wires connected to my body. I'm pretty sure I love you even more, and now you'll have to handle us wanting all the pampering you have to offer.”

The two of them smiled softly at each other, and they didn't need to say anything else, Max gently pulling Charles into a tight hug, a hug to make sure that moment was real and they were safe and sound after long weeks of insecurity, but the moment was interrupted by a loud and sharp cry and they snorted a laugh.

“Good morning to you too, pretty girl,” Max whispered to the newborn who was staring at them through her bright green eyes, getting close enough to pick Anneke up in his arms, carefully rocking the baby in an attempt to soothe her.

“Is she hungry?” Charles questioned, watching from afar while Max looked after their daughter.

“I don't think so, I gave her bottle while you were talking to the doctor,” Max explained, feeling Charles's uncertainty in approaching them. “Come here, liefje. Put your arms in the same position as mine are, now I'm going to place her in your arms and you're going to caress her back, the nurses said it's great to soothe the baby.”

Charles tensed as he realized what his husband was doing, but let Max delicately position Anneke in his arms, the Dutchman did his best to give confidence to the Monegasque because he knew how insecure Charles still felt about taking care of their daughter, not only because of his lack of experience with children but also because of the weeks he spent having minimal contact with her.

“You're doing great, baby,” Max praised with a small smile, moving away a little to give Charles more room to move without feeling too trapped.

It didn't take long for Anneke to calm down, resting her head on Charles's shoulder who couldn't contain his beaming smile with their daughter's gesture, and Max couldn't contain himself either, using his phone to capture a picture of the two of them and quickly set it as his lock screen.

“I calmed her down, Max,” Charles whispered euphoric and proud, still gently rocking his daughter in his arms.

“I said you're an amazing father,” Max said proudly, placing one of his hands around Charles's waist and leaving a light kiss on top of his daughter's head, admiring her green eyes and rosy cheeks, Max wanted to stay in that moment forever.

Their little moment of peace didn't last long, a polite knock on the door made Charles and Max raise their eyes in time to see Alex propping his head inside the room, “May I come in, Your Royal Highness?”

“You know you don't have to address me with this title here, Alex,” Charles said, nodding his head to his personal secretary to enter the room. “Have you met our Anneke?”

Charles turned around so that Alex could see the face of the newest member of the Royal House of the Netherlands, the boy approached them, slowly caressing one of her tiny hands, “She is so cute, now I understand why Her Serene Highness was so enchanted with her granddaughter.”

The Monegasque smiled at the mention of his mother, Pascale had shared her official engagements between Lorenzo and Arthur just so she could spend two weeks in the Netherlands offering all the support Charles needed to face such a complex time, helping Max to take care of Anneke and assuring them that everything would be fine even when all odds pointed to the contrary.

“I hate disturbing this moment, but it's time for you to present Her Royal Highness to the public,” Alex explained apologetically, knowing that the last thing they wanted was to face a media so thirsty to meet the Princess of Orange. “Can I send the stylists in to help you get ready?”

Charles and Max shared a glance, as much as they wanted to enjoy this moment in privacy and away from the cameras, they knew they had their royal duties to fulfill that were delayed long enough, now they needed to introduce the heir apparent to the whole world and show that the Prince had recovered. The Monegasque took a deep breath, answering firmly, “Yes, you can send them in, Alex.”

What happened in the following minutes was sheer madness, the stylists doing everything to ensure Max, Charles, and Anneke were impeccable for the newborn's official presentation – the couple exchanged their casual clothes for suits made especially for the occasion, while Anneke was wearing the same gown that Max, Victoria, and all their royal predecessors wore in their first appearance.

Anneke was carefully lying in Max's arms while Charles was having his hair styled, they were awakened from their respective activities when they heard a lazy knock on the door, smiling as they saw Daniel entering the room, “I have come to meet Her Royal Highness.”

“Come in, asshole,” Max joked, smiling at his best friend and private secretary. “Come meet your future Queen.”

“I can't believe this adorable little thing is your daughter,” Daniel murmured, stroking Anneke's rosy cheeks and receiving a cry in return. “I don't think she likes me.”

Max laughed, but fixed his daughter's position, humming softly and gently rocking Anneke, “Don't worry, she's probably just overwhelmed with so many people and soon it will be time for her to eat again.”

Charles stood up from where he was sitting, approaching them and stopping beside Daniel who gently pulled him into a hug, “I'm so happy you're okay, a snowstorm stopped Michael and me from returning as soon as we heard the news, but we were praying for your recovery, you gave us a big scare.”

“You know how dramatic Monegasques can be,” Charles joked. “But thanks for all your support and also for keeping Max sane during these weeks.”

“Anything for my Majesties,” Daniel laughed, giving Charles a last squeeze before pulling away and facing the couple. “Are you ready? The press team is waiting.”

“Let's go,” Max sighed, gently squeezing Charles's hand.

They wrapped Anneke in a beautiful blanket which was a gift from the House of Leclerc – a way to honor Charles' roots, something they constantly tried to do, especially after all the support they received from the people of Monaco. They walked down the halls of the hospital where the doctors, nurses, and other employees were standing to greet them one last time before their departure, greeting each one with their heads.

“Are you sure you're fine?” Max asked one last time when they stopped in front of a frosted glass door, turning to Charles as he continued holding Anneke in his arms, the tradition was clear in specifying the reigning monarch should present their heir.

“Don't worry, I'm alright,” Charles assured, smiling at his husband and fixing the white blanket so it wouldn't be on Anneke's face who was almost closing her eyes. “It's just that I kind of wish I could enjoy this moment a little bit more with just you two.”

“I know,” Max said. “And that's why I asked Sebastian to prepare Villa Eikenhorst, tomorrow we have another event to introduce Anneke to the army, but then we can travel to spend the weekend in Wassenaar if you want.”

“You know that you are the best husband in the world?” Charles smiled brightly, he really needed some time away from everything just to enjoy the presence of Max and Anneke. “It'll be perfect, mon cher.”

“Kids leave the love vows for later, it's time to introduce her,” Daniel spoke, making Charles and Max position themselves again, taking one last look at Anneke who was carefully wrapped in her blanket, just her face, and hands outside.

The security guards opened the door and instantly the cameras started recording every step the couple took towards the center of the hospital's main room, all eager to capture the best image of the heiress of the Dutch throne, they stopped at the place delimited by their team and let the photographers do their job.

Max was carefully holding Anneke in his arms while Charles placed one of his hands on his husband's upper arm, the two of them smiling softly at their daughter who was looking attentively at them.

“Your Majesty,” one of the journalists called Max, removing the two from their short trance and making them turn their attention to the audience that keeps recording every second. “What is Her Royal Highness' name?”

The two exchanged big smiles before Max answered, “Anneke Elizabeth Maëlle, Princess of Orange.”

As the first daughter of King Max of the Netherlands and Prince Charles, and the heir apparent, she wouldn't be addressed as Princess Anneke of the Netherlands, but as Princess of Orange, Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau.

“Your Royal Highness,” another reporter addressed Charles. “I would like to say that we are all delighted with your recovery, how do you feel knowing that people all over the Netherlands were hoping for your recuperation?”

“I wish I could personally thank everyone who wished a prompt recovery not only for me but also for our Anneke,” Charles answered sincerely. “It was challenging weeks for our family, but after leaving the ICU, Max showed me all the manifestations of love throughout the world, and the Royal House of the Netherlands thank each one of you.”

Max watched with love in his eyes while Charles spoke, he always loved to watch his husband speaking in Dutch, especially on behalf of their family. They answered a few more questions about Anneke's health, about the next engagements, and what would be their plans to enjoy the hospital discharge before the baby made a crying noise, attracting everyone's attention.

“Come here, chérie,” Charles whispered, feeling more confident in holding his daughter, not even caring if all the cameras were capturing that moment, receiving Max's help to hold Anneke in the position he taught earlier, and realizing it was almost time to feed her again.

“I think that's our cue to leave,” Max said, making everyone chuckle. “Once again, I want to thank all the people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao to Sint Maarten for all the support you have given to our family during such a delicate time, know you have the everlasting gratitude of the Royal House and that we would be happy to be able to thank everyone for every word and act of solidarity. We are profoundly delighted to introduce Princess Anneke Elizabeth Maëlle, Princess of Orange, to you for the first time.”

They waited a few more seconds for the last photos, Max gently placing his hand on Charles' lower back to guide him outside the hospital, always with the bodyguards escorting them to make sure they were safe. Outside the car was already waiting, behind the barricades were some journalists who weren’t allowed to participate and people who were waiting anxiously to see the family of three for the first time.

They stopped at the main entrance of the HMC Westeinde, Charles arranging his daughter in his arms so that the crowd even from afar could see the Princess for the first time, they smiled and politely waved to everyone. Charles nested next to his husband, discreetly leaning his head against his chest, and Max carefully cherished that scene, his heart overflowing with love for Charles and Anneke, all the fear that he felt dissolving, knowing he finally had his family in his arms and would do anything to protect them.


	2. Koningsdag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Max's first King's Day as a father and Charles just wants to make sure everything is perfect for his husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't intend to take this long to write a new chapter, but the uni kept me busy with projects and seminars in the last few weeks so it was hard to find time to write. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was written with lots of love!

Charles delicately pushed the door of his room, making as little noise as possible to avoid waking up Max who was still sleeping peacefully in their bed, needing a few seconds to get used to the darkness before walking towards the large windows that were hidden behind the thick curtains. 

“Ready to wake your daddy up, mon chéri?” Charles whispered sweetly to his two-month-old daughter who was safely lying in the baby seat, leaving the carrier on one of the sofas that decorated the room. 

The Monégasque smiled lovingly to Anneke who was holding the fluffy mane of her stuffed lion – one of the numerous gifts she received from the people of the Netherlands and Monaco to celebrate her birth. Charles turned again to the windows, using his hands to pull the dark curtains, letting the timid sun rays enter the majestic room in their apartment at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam. 

Max squirmed in bed, pulling the blankets in an attempt to hide from the daylight invading the room, and Charles just rolled his eyes with his husband's behavior because he never liked waking early, not even when there were official engagements to be fulfilled. The Monégasque took Anneke in his arms, getting a joyful babbling from his daughter who almost let her toy fall to the ground. 

“It's time to wake up, birthday boy,” Charles said softly as he approached the bed, enough to pull down the sheets that covered his husband's face, receiving a disapproving grunt from Max. “Are you seeing daddy being lazy, Anne?” 

Charles sat on his side of the bed, carefully nesting Anneke on the Dutchman's chest, keeping his hand steady to hold his daughter's little body and prevent her from sliding. 

“I'd love to wake up like this every day,” Max mumbled hoarsely, still with his eyes closed, gently using one of his hands to give his daughter more stability. “But it's still so early and we have nothing to do until later, let's get some more sleep, liefde.” 

“No way,” Charles uttered animatedly. “It's your birthday, and yes, it's still early, but that's exactly why we'll share this moment as a family before the festivities.” 

Following the Dutch traditions, Max's birthday also meant that it was an important national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and so their day would be busy with celebrations, official photos, and encounters with the people. The date was celebrated with a visit from the King and the Prince Consort to a previously chosen city, but due to Anneke's birth, they decided the best would be to alternate the plans with a celebration at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam – being only forty minutes from their residence at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in the Hague. 

“But it's still so early,” Max complained again, slowly opening his eyes to get used to the brightness and leaving a small kiss on top of his daughter's head. 

“That's why I organized a small surprise, a special breakfast with your family to enjoy we are gathered, I know you miss these moments with them,” Charles explained, happy with his idea for a homely program before the civic celebrations, not missing the sweet smile that made its way to his husband's lips. 

Charles was careful to stretch his body enough to reach Max's lips in a tender kiss, gently caressing his husband's rosy cheeks and whispering fondly, “Happy birthday, Maxy. I’m so delighted that you were born and found your way to me, every day I’m more and more sure that you are my soulmate, mon roi.” 

“I’m so happy to share this day with you both,” Max smiled genuinely, giving Charles another kiss on the lips and running his fingers through a few blonde locks on his daughter's head. 

Max resisted the temptation to stretch his body to not disturb Anneke who was quietly resting on his chest, but Charles received a cry of protest from his daughter as he moved her into his arms so that the Dutchman could finally sit down, “She's such a daddy's little girl.” 

“Of course she is,” Max sweetly cooed, shaking the stuffed lion in front of the baby who watched her father's moves closely. “Don't you love being daddy's little girl, Anne?” 

Charles rolled his eyes jokingly, but smiled at the scene in front of him, pleased to enjoy such a nice, domestic moment, “Go get ready, we have plans for your day.”

“As you wish, lieutenant,” Max joked using Charles' ranking in the Royal Netherlands Navy, kissing his husband one last time. “Join me?” 

“I would never throw away this invitation," Charles tried to wink, but failed once more and received a small giggle from Max. “You can go, I'll join you in a moment.” 

Charles left a kiss on his daughter's head, stretching his arm to push the button that was on the bedside table so that they could call the palace staff when necessary, smiling when Teresa, the princess' nanny, entered the room. 

“Your Royal Highness,” she greeted the prince formally, lowering her head in a sign of respect. 

“Teresa, I need you to get Anne ready for our breakfast,” Charles explained politely, gently passing his daughter to the woman's arms. “Her dresses for today are already organized?”

“Yes,” Teresa confirmed. “The four dresses were reorganized this morning by the maids, sir.” 

“Good. Also, have everyone gathered in the breakfast room in forty minutes,” Charles said with a smile, lowering his head to talk to his daughter. “Be a good girl for Teresa and remember papa loves you very much, chèrie.” 

Charles watched as Teresa left the room with Anneke in her arms, making his way to the luxurious bathroom for a small early celebration in the shower before getting ready for the family breakfast. 

“Have you seen your birthday messages, mon amour?” Charles asked as he stood in front of the mirror fixing his hair. 

“Not yet,” Max answered as he tied the shoelaces “I bet Daniel and Lando sent some stupid shit as soon as it was midnight, I'm a little disappointed that we won't be able to travel with them this year.”

“We can't travel this year, but we can host a dinner when we return to the Hague,” Charles suggested, knowing how difficult it was to reconcile time between their duties and free time with friends. “Oh, Pierre asked me to wish you a happy birthday.” 

“I haven't seen him since you and Anne were still in the hospital,” Max said. “How is he doing?” 

“He's fine,” Charles explained smiling. “Still feeling a bit guilty about having to travel before I was discharged from the hospital, but I said it's okay and he can redeem himself by letting Ferrari win the next race.” 

“We discussed this over and over again, and you will not turn our daughter into a Tifosi, Charles.” 

“It's in her blood as a Leclerc,” the Monégasque answered confidently. “Children always love the red car.”

“I never liked the red car,” Max objected, crossing his arms in front of his chest and unconsciously pouting, and Charles got close enough to kiss it away. 

“Mon amour, with all due respect, but you were never an ordinary child,” Charles whispered as he walked away again, laughing as the Dutchman just glared at him. “Now, shall we go?” 

The couple intertwined their fingers and left their room, smiling as they reached the living room of their apartment and saw Teresa gently rocking Anneke in her arms, the baby was wearing a lovely royal blue dress with tiny white socks. 

It was a custom that some members of the Royal House of the Netherlands – the monarch, his partner, and his children – chose a specific color to coordinate their outfits in the King's Day ceremonies and other important services, so the couple chose a blue color palette, including for the official photos that would be released for the celebration. 

“Your Majesty,” the woman respectfully bowed to Max as soon as she recognized the couple's presence. “Congratulations on your birthday, sir.”

“Thank you, Teresa,” Max said politely. 

Charles took his daughter in his arms, appreciating the little bundle, “We make beautiful babies, don't we?” 

“Hell, yeah, we do,” Max agreed with a beaming grin, delighted to watch Charles evolution as a father and how he was more sure of himself in taking care of their daughter. “Shall we go to breakfast? I'm hungry.” 

Charles led the way as they walked down the imposing corridors of the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, one of Max's hands always on his husband's waist in a protective manner, the two of them descended the stairs to reach the second floor of the palace where a maid waited for them with Anneke's baby carriage. 

“Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness,” the maid politely bowed to them before returning to her previous position. “Congratulations on your day, sir.”

Max thanked another one of his birthday felicitations, promptly turning his attention to his family, watching as Charles gently laid the baby on the carriage and covered her with the white mantle that had been a gift from the Princely Family of Monaco. 

They made their way to the breakfast room, Charles insisting on pushing their daughter's carriage, the couple exchanged an amusing look as they listened to Victoria's loud voice that was telling a story. 

The King couldn't contain his wide smile when he entered the room and saw his family talking animatedly, a moment that was difficult to happen since they were habitually away carrying out their duties as the Royal House of the Netherlands. 

“Uncle Max,” Jakob, Victoria and Tom's son, was the first to spot the family, abandoning his breakfast and running to his uncle's arms who was quick enough to catch the boy. “Happy birthday! Mommy let me choose a present for you. Can I play with Anne?” 

“Calm down, buddy,” Max chuckled as his nephew talked non-stop, holding the three-year-old boy in his arms. “I'm sure I will love the gift you chose for me, but you still can't play with Anne because she’s too small.” 

Jakob pouted, using his best puppy eyes to try to convince Max that he could play with Anneke, but his tactic didn't have enough time to act because Sophie soon approached them.

“Happy birthday, my baby,” a dazzling smile lit Sophie's face, and she waited for her son to put Jakob down before pulling Max into a warm embrace as everyone watched the sweet scene. “I still can't believe my little bundle of joy is a grown man. May you have another happy year at your family's side and may your reign be prosperous, my darling.” 

“I love you, mom,” Max mumbled finding comfort in his mother's soothing embrace and the pleasant aroma that never failed to calm him. “Do you want to hold Anne?” 

“Can I?” Sophie asked hopefully, nervously chewing her lower lip. 

“You took care of her when we were in the hospital and you're nervous to hold her now that everything is okay?” Max questioned with one of his eyebrows arched, his mother – and Pascale – were so important when Charles and Anneke were still hospitalized, always willing to help them and make sure everything was fine, a care that only a mother could offer at such a tough time. 

“Don't give me this look, Max Emillian,” Sophie warned jokingly before embracing Charles as well, greeting her son-in-law with whom she had a very loving relationship, placing her arms in the ideal position to hold her granddaughter. “She’s the most beautiful thing in the universe. Your grandmother loves you so much, Anne.” 

“Hey,” Victoria protested from where she was still sitting at the fancy table. “All you need is a newborn and suddenly I stop being the most beautiful thing in your universe, mom?”

They laughed at Victoria's statement, before Max spoke again, “For someone who was so eager to visit us, I'm surprised you're still standing there.” 

Victoria rolled her eyes, quickly walking up to her older brother and throwing herself into his arms while Tom, who was with Jakob in his arms, approached Charles and exchanged an amusing look with him with the action of their partners, the two siblings still resembled children from time to time. 

After all the greetings, congratulations, and compliments to the little Anneke who was being pampered by her grandmother, auntie, and uncle, they fell into a comfortable silence. Sophie is still amazed by Anneke, delighted to see her granddaughter so happy and full of life, while Victoria and Tom had fun with Jakob. 

“My husband really outdid himself this year,” the Dutchman smiled when they reached the table where all the dishes were exposed, looking through the window into the magnificent palace garden. 

“Your daughter also helped a lot, she smiled when I suggested this and cried to all the other ideas,” Charles replied amusingly, approaching Max and placing his arms around his husband's waist. “I asked the chefs to prepare your favorite foods.” 

“You even asked them to prepare ontbijtkoek,” Max exclaimed surprised, knowing how much Charles hated even the scent of that kind of cake. 

“Anything for my birthday boy,” Charles once more tried to wink, stealing a kiss from the Dutchman.

“It's still so early, leave it to be cheesy later,” Victoria said amidst laughter to annoy her brother and her brother-in-law, earning a middle finger from Max. 

The couple prepared their breakfast plates, exploring the diverse dishes that had been prepared especially for Max – even if there were some Monégasque options on the menu. They sat at the table that was decorated with colorful flowers, enjoying the moment to taste the food. 

“So,” Tom spoke after a few minutes in silence, only Anneke's cooing and Jakob's voice entertaining the room. “What's the agenda for today?” 

“We won't have anything to do until later,” Max explained. “I will give a speech that will be broadcasted to the kingdom, the parliament will issue the list of honors to citizens who stood out during the previous year, then we will make our appearance on the balcony where we will have a presentation of Solo Display Team, in the afternoon we will have a charity event for the children in the palace garden. Only at night, we will be free, unless Charles has some surprise.” 

“I’m not telling you, chérie,” Charles answered with a cheeky smile because of course, he had plans to celebrate Max's birthday – they would leave Anneke in Sophie's care and travel at night to spend three days in Aruba – but his husband didn't need to know that until later. 

“Let's stop talking about protocol, I'm tired just listening,” Victoria exclaimed, never having patience for all the rules that royalty demanded of her. “Anneke's christening is coming soon, have you decided who will be the godfather or godmother?”

“We've discussed it a million times, but we haven't come to a decision yet,” Charles sighed. “We thought of Pierre because he's my childhood friend, but Sebastian advised us that it's better to select a more discreet godfather and one who will always be around since our Anne is the Princess of Orange.” 

“So we thought of Daniel,” Max completed his husband's words. “He has been my counselor since I was Prince of Orange, now he’s my personal secretary, my best friend and is always nearby.” 

“And there's also Sebastian,” Charles spoke again, the two sharing a smile. “He was my counselor in Monaco and now he is the Master of the Household, so it's a bit more complicated decision than it should be.” 

“I told him it didn't have to be that complicated, we can have two more children so Pierre and Sebastian can also be godfathers,” Max joked making everyone laugh and Charles rolled his eyes, but the Monégasque couldn't contain his own smile for too long. 

“You kids are no good,” Sophie shook her head, happy to see her son so well. 

Although the atmosphere was one of joy, Anneke began crying in the arms of her grandmother, one of her many mood swings that could easily be calmed by her parents. Charles took his daughter in his arms, gently rocking the girl who seemed to need no more than three minutes to calm down again. 

The King watched attentively while Charles soothed their daughter, a smile playing on his lips with the scene he would like to keep for the rest of his life, one of his hands softly caressing his husband's shoulders. 

“Thank you for giving me the best present of all,” Max whispered in the Monégasque's ear, leaving a small kiss behind Charles' ear, wishing himself many more years of life, not only to bring a prosperous reign to his people but mainly to watch his family grow. “But I wasn’t joking when I talked about having two more children messing around the palace.”


End file.
